Adjustable supporting mechanism for straightening rolls of plate straightening machines



Sept. 8, 1931. F. UNGERER 1,822,119

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHTENING ROLLS OF PLATE STRAIGHTENING MACHINES Filed March 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 8, 1931. F. UNGERER 1,822,119

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHTENING ROLLS OF PLATE STRAIGHTENING MACHINES Filed March 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 8, 1931 BEISSUED FRITZ UNGERER, F PFORZHEIM, GERMANY ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHTENING ROLLS OF PLATE STRAIGHTENING MACHINES Application filed March 18, 1929, Serial No. 348,078, and in Germany September 19, 1928.

As is known the straightening rolls of plate straightening machines are supported on supporting rolls which are adjustably arranged so that they serve simultaneously for deflecting the straightening rolls towards the work. This enables the rolls to press particularly strongly along certain sections of the plate.

If however the work is hard requiring heavy pressures for the'straightening, the supporting rolls yield by deflecting at the middle, so that the straightening rolls often lack the necessary support at those points where they should exert the heaviest pres- 5 sure.

The retrospective forces acting from the work onto the rolls can thereby influence the form' of'the straightening rolls flexion curve in a manner, which cannot be anticipated by the operator of the straightening machine He also cannot regulate by hand the form of the flexion curvev of the straightening rolls in view of these counter forces, the. strength and effect of which cannot be predetermined.

One of the'chief causes of mistakes, which occur particularly when straightening hard and thin plates, is also due to the fact that the form which the straightening rolls. adopt during the straightening operation under theinfluence of all the acting forces and on which are dependent to a great extent the straightening result, cannot be positively .set' with the known means.

The present invention overcomes these inconveniences.

According to the present invention the adjusting means arranged along or transversely to the straightening rolls designed to adjust the deflection pass into their supporting position along paths of different lengths.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: a

Fig. 1 show in elevation and partly in section a plate straightening machine with adjustable supporting mechanism. K

Fig. 2 is a section through the adjustable 60 supportin mechanism on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 s ows a top plan view of the mid- .nuts m rigidly fixed on the lower machine dle portion of the supporting mechanism.

The upper and lower straightening rolls 6 and 0 are journaled in the machine uprights'a at. These rolls are each supported by two rows ofsupporting rolls d and e, the upper supporting rolls (I being mounted in the known manner in the yoke member 7, so that they participate in the adjustment movements of this yoke member, whereas the journals of the lower supporting rolls 6 project into bearing bodies 9 and lb rigidly connected together in pairs by struts i to form each pair a bearing frame belonging to one row of supporting rolls. Two such rigid frames composed of a bearing body 9 and k and of two struts i are, after the insertion of the corresponding row of supporting rollers e, symmetrically arranged under the lower row of rolls 0, so that the inner bearing bodies 9 face each other and the outer bearing bodies h are turned away from each other. The inner bearing bodies 9 are each supported in a hollow sliding surface I0 ofa middle part is of the mechanism so that they perform a slight oscillation, i. e. slightly turn between the points of the end screws Z around an axis at right angles to the center axles of the supporting rolls for the purpose ,of inclined adjustment of the supporting rolls 6 corresponding to'the desired progress of the flexion curve of the straightemng rolls a. The middle part is rests on the two inner screw spindles m capable of rotation as adjusting means in the frame n.

Owing to the rigid connection between the outer bearing bodies It and the inner bearing bodies 9 the former must participate in the swinging movement of the latter 0 around the points of the screws Z. The outer bearing bodies h are therefore mounted with the'aid of slide discs 0 and p on the outer screw spindles g capable of being rotated in the nuts 9' as a further means of adjustment, The slide disc 0 rests rigidly in a cavity in the bearing body It. In order that the disc 0 can participate in the swinging movements of the bearing body it it rests against a flat surface of the slide disc 12 which in turn rests loosely with a concave surface on the convex end face of the screw spindle g.

The bearing frames 9, h, z carrylng the two lower rows of supporting rolls 6 are therefore supported in such a manner that the two inner bearing bodies 9 can be raised or lowered in relation to the outer bearing bodies h.

This adjustment of the two lower rows of supporting rolls 6 to a V- or inverted V- shape, by means of which the form of the flexion curve of the lower straightening rolls 0 is positively forced upwards in the one case and downwards in the other case, can be attained in three ways. The ratio of gearing of the worm gears 2", 11 (Figs. 2 and 3) rotating the inner spindles m, when the inner spindles m and the outer spindles 9 have the same pitch, may differ from that of the worm gears s, 81 rotating the outer spindles g, which latter worm gears are driven from the same hand-wheel shaft t as the worm gears 1, WI. The pitches of the inner and outer'spindlcs m and 9 may also differ when the ratios of gearing of the inner and outer worm gears 7-, 11 and 8, 81 respectively are similar, and finally the ratios of gearing between the inner and outer worm gears 7, T1 and s, 81 as also the pitches of the inner and outer spindles m and 9 may also differ. The ratio of gearing of the worm gears or the pitches of the spindles must however always be chosen so that, according to whether the inner or outer sections of the plate have to be straightened, the middle portion-of the lower straightening rolls 0 are particularly strongly deflected towards the work or that the work can pressaway the straightening rolls 0 on the innerside but not on the outer side, i. e. the two lower rows of supporting rolls e must be capable of being brought by the rotating of the shaft t in the one instance from the horizontal into an inverted V-shaped position and in the other instance into a V- shaped position.

These adjustments of the rows of supporting rolls 6 can, for example, be attained by providing the inner spindles m with a larger pitch than the outer spindles g when their ratio of gearing is similar. By turning the hand-wheel u from its zero position in which the rows of supporting rolls 6 are horizontal, in the one direction, the inner bearing bodies 9 will be raised more than the outer bearing bodiesh, causing the two rows of supporting rolls 6 to assume an inverted V-shape. By turning the hand-wheel u once more from the zero position but in this instance in the opposite direction, the inner bearing bodies 9 will descend more than the outer bearing bodies h causing the two rows of supporting rolls 6 to assume the V-shape.

The pitches of the spindles m and q should be preferably selected so that the inverted V- or V-shape assumed by the rows of supporting rolls 6 are as far as possible adapted to the deflection curve of the straightening rolls 0 for the load acting at the middle, which as is known depends upon the length and thickness of the latter rolls.

By means of such a supporting mechanism it is possible to a great extent, to positively adjust the shape of the deflecting curve of the straightening rolls, to obtain quickly the necessary straightening of the work and thereby a good straightening result.

The spindles m and g are detachably coupled individually with the worm wheels 1" and s, for the purpose of uniformly adjusting the-supporting rolls 6 on the unloaded straightening rolls 0 when setting up the machine or inspecting same after replacing or wear of certain elements of the machine. This coupling is effected by means of a conical surface '2) on each spindle m and g and of a coupling ring w, secured to the worm wheels 1" and s and drawn into a groove Y therein by means of set-screws w, whereby the hollow conical surface of the coupling ring w is pressed against the conical surface '0 of the spindles m and g. After releasing the coupling the corresponding threaded spindle m or g respectively may be turned by means of a spanner in the nut g1 and thus individually vertically adjusted.

Instead of the worm gears 1 1'1 and s, .91 and spindles m and 9 other similarly acting adjusting means, such as wedges, cams orthe like, may be used.

Moreover it is not necessary to employ supporting rolls 6 for supporting the straightening rolls 0. The supporting of the rolls 0 may be effected by a number of straightening roll rests distributed along the length of each straightening roll 0 and arranged, according to the present invention, to perform different lengths of travel when passing into the supporting position. Such rests arranged along the straightening rolls a can be brought into the supporting position by means of a common handwheel shaft, so that-all the straightening rolls 0 may be adjusted to the deflection curve caused by the middle load whereby the shape of this curve is positively determined during the straightening process.

I claim 1. An adjustable supporting mechanism for the straightening rolls of plate straightening machines, comprising in combination with said straightening rolls, adjustable means arranged along each straightening roll adapted to deflect said roll towards and away from the work and to perform different lengths of travel in passing into their supporting position according to the desired form of the deflection curve of said straightening rolls.

2. An adjustable supporting mechanism for the straightening rolls of plate straightening machines as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the rows of straightening rolls, adjustable means for said rolls adapted to performdifferent lengths of travel in passing into their supporting position, rows of supporting rolls and a pair of bearing bodies on which said adjusting means act in such a manner that said rows of supporting rolls are positively adjusted into an inclined position corresponding to the desired form of the deflection curve of said straightening rolls.

3. An adjustable supporting mechanism as specified in claim 1,'comprising in combination with the straightening rolls, a pair of rows of supporting rolls symmetrical to the middle of said straightening rolls, a pair of bearing bodies for each row of supporting rolls, common adjusting means for those bearing bodies of the pair of bearing bodies which face each other, common adjusting means for those bearing bodies of the pair of bearing bodies which turn away from each other, a common hand-wheel for adjusting the adjustment of both these adjust.- 1ng means in such a manner that the lifting or lowering of the bearing bodies facing each other is always greater than the lifting or lowering of the bearing bodies turned away from each other.

4. An adjustable supporting mechanism as I specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the straightening rolls, a pair of rows of supporting rolls symmetrical to the middle of said straightening rolls, a pair of bearing bodies for each row of supporting rolls, common adjusting means for those bearing bodies of the pair of bearing'bodies which face each other, a central member resting on said common adjusting means and carrying oscillatably said bearin bodies, common ad'usting means on whlch those bearing bodies of the pair of bearing bodies which turn away from each other are mounted shiftable in the direction of the central axes of said sup orting rolls, a common handwheel/for ad usting the adjustment of both these adjusting means in such a manner that the lifting or lowering of the bearing bodies facing each other is always greater than the lifting or lowering of the bearing bodies turned away from each other.

5. An adjustable supporting mechanism as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the straightening rolls, a pair of rows of supporting rolls symmetrical to the middle of said straightening rolls, a pair of bearing bodies for each row of supporting rolls, common adjustin bearing bodies of the pair of bearing bodies which face each other, a central member means for those resting on said common adjusting means and carrying oscillatably said bearing bodies, common adjusting means on which those bearing bodies of the pair of bearing bodies which turn away from each other are mounted shiftable in the direction of the central axes of said supporting rolls, each of said adjusting means consisting of spindles having a cone surface, of worm gearings adapted to drive said spindles, coupling rings with hollow cone surfaces adapted to detachably couple with the cone surfaces of said spindles, and of screws adapted to draw said rings into said spindles and to connect the worm wheels loosely mounted on one of said spindles, and a common handwheel for adjustlng the adjustment of both these adjusting means in such a manner that the lifting or lowering course of the bearing bodies facing each other is always greater than the lifting or lowerin course of the bearing bodies turned away from each other.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRITZ UN GERER. 

